The Montgomery County commissioners yesterday promoted Floriana Bloss to chairwoman of the Board of Assessment Appeals. She replaces former Chairman Raymond McConnell, who resigned last month.

The three-member board is still one member short because now a replacement is needed for Bloss.

It has not been decided if Bloss will give up control of the administrative functions of the board to a full-time administrator.

The commissioners have been wanting to appoint a full-time administrator for a few years because they are uncomfortable with the assessment board chairman's dual obligation of assessing property and then deciding if those same values are fair when residents appeal them.

But the former chairman's refusal to agree to the plan, which is required by law to make the change, kept it from becoming a reality.

Commissioner Richard Buckman said he has been talking with Bloss, a former county commissioner, about making the change, but an agreement has not been reached.

Bloss could not be reached for comment.

Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III said he was voting against Bloss' appointment because the commissioners should have waited for her to agree. Hoeffel said he didn't want a chairwoman "who's not willing to participate in the reform of this office."

Buckman said he would rather not wait. He said the next time the commissioners could vote on the appointment would be at their meeting in two weeks. In the meantime, he said, the 50 employees of the assessment appeals board would be without a leader.